Tyson Fury has finished with his professional boxing career, but that doesn’t mean he’s done fighting just yet. Following a stunning sixth-round knockout over Dillian Whyte in front of 94,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in England, the 33-year-old heavyweight champion confirmed he has officially retired, moving his record to 32-0-1 with the win.
“Before I fought Deontay Wilder [the third time], I was at my house in Vegas, and I said to [my wife] Paris, ‘This is going to be the last fight,’” Fury said at the post-fight press conference. “I just don’t want to do it anymore.
She said, ‘Yes, I’m happy, let it be the last fight.’ Then after the fight I said to her in the shower, I said, ‘It’s definitely the last fight. There’s no more of this.’ I was happy with that decision, and I get a call from Frank [Warren] saying we can do a homecoming fight at Wembley and I said to Paris, ‘I’ve got to go one more time. I’ve got to get the old boots out again.’ It was a tough decision, because I was happy being retired.
“I come back for a big, big fight at home. It’s been amazing. I couldn’t have topped it off. It’s been a fairytale few years. It’s been absolutely more than I ever dreamed of as a kid and as an adult. I won every belt there is to win. There isn’t nothing more I can do. I won every belt in the game. If this was a computer game, it would definitely be completed for sure.”
Ngannou has been calling for a fight against Fury for quite some time, and with his UFC contract expected to come to an end at the close of 2022, he might finally be available to make it happen.
It’s a matchup Fury wants, and he’s willing to meet Ngannou under a special set of rules that would even the playing field for both of them.
“I will not rule out exhibitions, for sure,” Fury said about his future. “Get some of that Floyd Mayweather money. I want to have fun. I’m an entertaining. I entertain, that’s what I do best. I want to have fun.
“Francis Ngannou was here today, he’s on my hit list in an exhibition fight. However he wants — in a cage, in a boxing ring, boxing gloves, UFC gloves, we can make it happen. I think everyone wants to see it. He’s a monster of a guy. I’m a monster of a guy. So it will be a clash of the titans for sure.”
Fury vs. Ngannou could be one of the biggest heavyweight fights in the history of combat sports and obviously both athletes are on board.
The proposed bout would have to wait until at least 2023, not only due to Ngannou’s contract situation with the UFC, but an ACL surgery in March that will keep the champ sidelined for the remainder of the year.
As far as boxing goes, Fury has no desire to keep coming back to face the next best guy, which is why he downplayed a question about holding onto his titles to possibly face the winner in the planned rematch between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk.
“I’m happy with my decisions,” Fury said. “I’m going to go home with my wife, my kids. Spent a lot of time on the road. I’ve been away a long time. I’ve fulfilled everything I’ve wanted to fulfill.
“I’m going to retire as the only second heavyweight in history after Rocky Marciano to retire undefeated.”
